Seniors Have Their Say At Lenox Graduation
 Lenox Memorial High School's class of 2010, consisting of 73 seniors, throw their caps into the air Sunday afternoon at Tanglewood. |
Upon receiving their diplomas at Tanglewood on Sunday afternoon, the 73 seniors in Lenox Memorial High School's class of 2010 each had their moment of individual expression.
In the the weeks leading up to commencement, every senior wrote six words to sum up their personalities or their experiences at Lenox, which were read aloud by faculty members at graduation.
The "six-word memoirs" ranged from the thoughtful to the down-right silly, but each symbolized the vast personalities filling the stage. One male student chose to focus on the future with "the best is yet to come," while a female student conveyed her innocence with "I still check under the bed."
One student went with "risk it to get the biscuit," while another not-so-innocent graduate cleverly crafted "this one time, I got really..."
During his valedictory speech, Cameron Zinchuk described the senior class as an eclectic group, one that "rejoices as much in our differences as we do in our similarities." He said it's fitting that Lenox's graduation coincides with the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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"I find it amazing that, for such a small school, Lenox can support so many different activities and organizations."
The seniors' talents were on display during the ceremony as several graduates sang with the school choir. Ryan Meczywor performed two selections on the acoustic guitar, singing "Upside Down" by Jack Johnson and "Wonderwall" by Oasis.
For a few moments, the commencement resembled a rock show; seniors danced on stage, blew bubbles, and one student even heckled "play 'Freebird.'"
Fun was hard to avoid for the class of 2010. Salutatorian Karla Reid said that even the most studious pupil — like herself — couldn't help but get caught up in the flighty nature of her peers. Self-described as the "contemptibly perfectionist, somewhat deplorable overachiever that I am," Reid still found many outlets for enjoyment.
"My literal education is no longer what means the most to me," she said. "Instead, it is the intangible aura of the [Lenox] community. I fear that this collective group of individuals will never come together in the same way again. I will miss the dynamic that we have here, our particular brand of Lenox joie de vivre and laughter."
Following the ceremony, the seniors formed a circle on the lawn just outside the Tanglewood shed, where they tossed their hats into the air. They posed for pictures with family and friends, celebrating the end of an era, and the beginning of another.
Applying the World Cup metaphor, Zinchuk summed up his time at Lenox Memorial High School:
"I realize that this has all been a warm-up. The game is just under way."
